Concrete construction.



W. J. EDWARDS.

CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17. 1909.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

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"i @y Mumwrm J. EDWARDS.

CONCRETE GONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

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WILLIAM J'. EDWARDS, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 17, 1309. Serial No. 483,972.

Patented Jan, 25, 1910.

' same.

The `present invention relates to a concrete construction which may be employed for the erection of dwelling houses, stables, garages and other buildings and structures where a cheap, durable and re-proof construction is desired.

It has heretofore been the common practice, where a building or structure of concrete was to be erected, to first construct a substantially tight or closed mold or form fora greater or less ortion of the structure to be erected, which orm or mold was filled with concrete. This was allowed to set or Aharden after which the mold would be built up for another section or portion of the structure, and which in turn would be filled with concrete. VV.In order to reinforce the concrete and give additional strength, metal rods or bars were often embedded in the concrete. After the concrete had hardened sufficiently, the mold or form would be torn away and when made of wood, as was usually the case, such portions as were in proper condition were used again in building another vform or mold. This method of construction is objectionable for many reasons. .In the first place a great deal of lumber' is required in the building ot' the 'forms and this is generally damaged to such an extent when the form is taken downy that much of it cannot be used a second time. Another lobjection is that since the outside surfaces of the structure assume with remarkable distinctness all the details of the side of the mold, either first-class material and workmanship are required for the building of the molds or the surfaces of the concrete must be dressed or finished to remove the objectionable marks o'f the mold. Still another objection to the above described method is that, being so essentially dilierent from the methods 'of construction commonly employed for erecting wooden frame structures, it is not adapted for use by the ordinary builder' whose experience has been wholly with such wooden structures.

The object of the present invention is to provide'aconcrete construction which shall be cheap to erect since no lumber is temporarily employed which is more or less dani aged or destroyed by its temporary use, all lumber which is used being embodied iii the finished structure and reinforcing and strengthening the same, and since the expense of the making of molds and redressing the outer surface of the concrete is avoided.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a concrete construction which may be used by any builder familiar with and capable of the erection of `ordinary wooden buildings and without requiring especially skilled labor.

With these objects in view, the present invention consists, generally speaking, of a wooden frame having open work retaining walls which hold or retain the concrete filling, coatings or .layers of cement, mortar,

plaster or any similar material being applied to the outside of these retaining walls, thus providingr an integral structure of concrete and cement or similar material, within' which is embedded and buried the Wooden framework.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate portions of a dwelling house constructed in accordance with the`present invention, Figure 1 shows in perspective and with portions broken away, the construction of the vertical walls of a house at a corner; Fig. 2 is a vertical section, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section, through a wall and Window; Fig. 4 shows in side elevation, and Fig. 5 in cross section, the wall and the method of securing the horizontal girts; Fig. G is a vertical section through the eaves portion of the house, showing a gutterconstructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 7 is a perspective. and Fig. 8 a vertical scctionl of a chimnev showing the method of construction; and Fig. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a stud or post to be used-in erecting a building in accordance with the present invention.

In Fig. 1 'of the drawings, 1 re iesents the vertical postsand 2 the studs w iich are secured by mortise and tenon in the usual spaced rapart about this depending upon `into the'space between them and allowed to ably will be laid in lwell troweled cement on the top of the cellar walls o r other foundation. The upper ends of the studs will bei provided with tenons to enter mortises in the girts, as usual in frame buildings, the girts, however, being secured to the posts by angle irons instead of by mortise and tenon. After the posts and studs are placed on the sills i and while temporarily held in vertical, position in any suitable manner and before the girts are -placed upon the studs, the hori- .zontal strips 3` will be attached at proper intervals to the inside and outside of the osts and studs, in recesses or grooves 4 ormed in the inner and outer faces thereof, as shown in Fig. 9. The horizontal strips may be of any suitable dimensions, those in the drawings being thick and gj. wide, and conveniently being formed by sawing up g boards, such as are ordinarily used for boarding-in purposes, into strips. In the drawings, these strips are shown the width of Athe strips and the character of' the concrete which is to be used. The recesses or grooves4 may be formed in lany suitable manner, a cheap and convenient way being by gang saws at a mill: Thesestrips form an open framework as it were, or reta1n1ng walls, and after they have been secured to the vertical posts and studs to a proper helght, concrete will be introduced harden. The broken stone or coarse gravel used for the concrete,- and the distance the horizontal strips are placed apart, will be such that while some of the concrete may be forced through the spaces between the horizontal strips. the major portion will be held 1n place by these open retaining walls until the concrete has hardened. While this process 1s golng on, another portion of the Wall wlll be bullt up to the proper height and filled with concrete, and the work willv thus progressaround theentire building so that by the time the workmen have.,reachedthe first section the concrete willhave set or hardened suiiiciently. so .that another section of retaining walls may be built up and more concrete filled in.- This will be continued until the walls reach the proper height, when the horizontal'girt shown at 5 will be placed upon the tops of the studs and upon the sohdwall of concrete, 'the ends of the girt being secured to the posts bythe angle irons t3. The second story will then be constructed in the same manner as the first, and soon until the walls are completed, the plate'7 (see Fig. 6) being placed upon the top of the upper set of studs and the solid concrete and secured by angle irons or in other' suitable mann'er to the posts. -The sills and girts and other horizont-al portions of the manner the horizontal sills, which preferg frame may be groove'd longitudinally to re.

ceive the horizontal strips, or strips of reduced width may be applied directly thereto, as shown in Fig. 5.

A finishing coating of cement 8 will be applied by trowel or in any other conven ient way to the exterior surface of the walls, all wooden and concrete surfaces with Awhich the cement would come in contact being first well wet with water to cause the cement to more 'firmly attach itself thereto. Ordinarily the cement will attach itself tn the concrete andwood sufciently to secure the cement in position. If desired, however, metal lathing 9 or some similar'means may be employed which shall be -secured to the outside of the retaining walls, 'to which in turn the outery coating of cement shall be applied. Owing to the substantial character ofthe horizontal strips, this metal lathing may be attached thereto at frequent intervals -so that all danger of its sagging or pulling away will be avoided. lVith stables, garages, and similar structures, the interior surface of the wallsvinay be finished with cement in a like manner, but with dwelling houses it maybe desired to apply a coating of plaster l instead of cement. This may be applied directly to the inner retaining wall or to lathing secured thereto or rinany other suitable manner. f

If it is desired to provide airspaces, such as are shown at 11. in the walls, these may be formed b v the use of a suitably shaped core or form held between the retaining walls and around which Lthe concrete is filled and allowed to set, after which the form can be partially withdrawn and .another section of concrete built. The chimneys Aof the house may very conveniently be constructed in this manner, Fig. 7 showing in perspective achimney partially completed, while Fig. 8 shows in 'vertical section the chimney with the core or formi12 in position, being supported by the arms 13 which restupon the horizontal strips on opposite sides of the chimney structure.

If it is desired to construct a Window cap or ledge in accordance with the present invention, wooden blocks or pieces may be secured to the horizontal members 14 (see Fig. 2) above and below the window casing 15, horizontal strips being attached to the side and bottom of these blocks formingY a sort of trough to be illed with concrete. If necessary a coarser concrete may be employed for such purposes and the strips may be spaced less-distance apart. A finishing layer of cementwill be applied to the outside of these longitudinal strips, if necessary a strip of board being Aplaced under the over-hanging portion to temporarily support the coating of cement ywhile it was har' dening. In a similar manner a gutter 16 under the pressure of the concrete avoided,

may be formed as shown in Fig. 6, a p'roperly shaped supporting piece 17 being secured to the rafter 18, the horizontal strips '1.9 being attached to the outer and lower edges of the supporting pieces 17. By the 4 use of a properly shaped mold, any^desired l configuration of cornice may be obtained.

From the above description it is' evident I that. a building or structure.v embodying the present, invention will be comparativelyv cheap to erect, absolutely fire-proof since the entire wooden frainei'vork is buried or embedded in the concrete or similar tire-proof material, and lof great strength and durability. By the use of horizontal strips of substantial width and thickness, notI only is all likelihood of their bending or bulging but the concrete is strongly reinforced particularly since the retaining strips are secured in Grooves or recesses in the supporting4 mem ers. Furthermore, by inserting;

the horizontal strips in recesses or grooves l! in the vertical studs, practically any width of strip may be employed withoutl materially increasingv the thickness of the wall. Such an arrangement also insures an'exceedingly rigid framework whichwill not be distorted I or thrown out of'alinement during the process of erection. Where in the claims a coating of cement is referred to, this is to be understood as inl wooden frame comprising vertical supportu ing members provided with transverse recesses on their opposite faces, wide, thin, horizontal retaining members s aced apart from one another and fitting tightly edgewise in the recesses forming two retaining walls, a filling of concrete betweenthe walls, and a coating of cement applied to the outside of the walls, substantlally as described.

9,. .A concrete construction consisting vof a wooden frame comprising vertical supporting members provided with recesses on their opposite faces, horizontal retaining mmbers spaced apart from one another and fitting tightly in the recesses forming two retaining walls, a filling of concrete between the walls, metal lathing secured to the ontside ofthe walls, and a coating of cement applied to the lathing. substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I aiix in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. EDVRDS.

Witnesses: ALFRED H. HILDRETH, I' WARREN G. OeneN.

my signature, 

